1. Field of the Invention
A plasma display apparatus having a heat dissipation unit that has an improved structure and that dissipates heat generated by a plasma display panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, a plasma display apparatus is a flat display apparatus that displays an image using a gas discharge phenomenon. The plasma display apparatus is superior in various display characteristics, such as a display capacity, a luminance, a contrast, image retention, and viewing angle. The plasma display apparatus can be made to have a large screen size while being thin. As a result, the plasma display apparatus is spotlighted as a next-generation display apparatus that can replace cathode ray tubes (CRTs).
A plasma display apparatus includes a plasma display panel (PDP) that displays an image, a chassis base arranged parallel to the PDP, circuit units installed on a rear surface of the chassis base to drive the PDP, and a case that accommodates the PDP, the chassis base, and the circuit units. Gas discharge occurs in the PDP so that the PDP can display an image.
Displaying the image on a plasma display apparatus leads to the generation of a large amount of heat. Such heat degrades the display performance of the PDP and results in a degradation in the reliability of the circuit units when the plasma display apparatus is driven for a long time. To effectively dissipate the heat generated by the PDP, a heat dissipation unit may be installed between the PDP and the chassis base. The heat dissipation unit is generally attached to the rear surface of the PDP to receive and dissipate heat generated by the PDP.
However, the heat dissipation unit may be formed of a material has a high thermal conductivity but releases debris. When the conductive debris of the heat dissipation unit are introduced into a place such as where circuits are formed, a short circuit can occur. In addition, the conductive debris contaminates the circuit units on the PDP. Thus, the durability of the plasma display apparatus can decrease, or the display performance of the PDP can degrade.
Meanwhile, when the PDP is driven for long periods of time under poor conditions, the adhesion of the heat dissipation unit to the PDP can weaken. When this happens, the dissipation performance of the heat dissipation unit can degrade, and noise can occur due to vibrations between the PDP and the heat dissipation unit. Therefore, what is needed is an improved design for a plasma display apparatus and an improved design for a heat dissipation unit that overcomes these problems.